Electric accumulator.



M. L. ASHBAUGH.

ELECTRIC AGGUMULATOR.

APPLICATION IILBD APRJZ, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

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M. L. ASHBAUGH.

ELECTRIC AOCUMULATOR.

APPLloATIoN FILED 1211.12, 1913.

1,096,587.. Patented May 12, 1914,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MIFFLIN L. ASHBAUGH, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC ACCUMULATOR.

To all ifi/0m t may concern.

Be it known that I, MIFFLIN L. As1rramen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Accumulators, of which the 'following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements m electric accumulators or so called storage batteries.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simple, e'tlicient, and ett'ective structure or active clement of a battery cell.

Another object of my invention is to provide a battery element divisible into a plurality of parts, one superposed upon the other and all joined to a common conductor by means adapted and arranged to permit rela-tive movement of said parts during the time when the element, as a whole, is undergoing expansion and contraction, as when the battery, within which the said element is contained, is being charged and discharged. Furthermore to compensate for increased size of said parts as when the element grows under protracted use.

Still another object of my invention is to provide means in the containing case to space the elements suiciently apart to prevent contact and to permit free circulation of the electro-lyte to all of the active surfaces or parts of the respective elements.

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration ot' the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein-m Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved cell; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a grid composing part ot' one of the elements; Fig. 4: is a side view of the same; Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional. view of two sections of an element, one super-posed upon the other, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. G is a broken-away enlarged isometric view of one of the grids before being filled.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar' parts.

Each of the elements of my improved battery consists of a plurality et longitudinally disposed vertically divided sections or grids 10, one superposed upon the other and spaced Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 12, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1.914.

Serial No. 760,616.

apart by means of protuberances 11 placed at intervals along one upper or lower surlace or' the grids to provide space between the respective grids, as shown in Fig. 5, for circulation ot' the electro-lytic. The specitic form of the grid for the purpose of retaining the active material 12 is not ot special importance in my present invention. ln the particular exemplilication I have shown a cross sectional view ol a grid each edge ol which represents the letter E, as at 13, and 141, with a central double E placed back to back. The central rib 16 is perforated, as at 17, through which to key the active material and the overhanging ribs 1S serve furthermore as means lor keying the active material and for atl'ording mechanical surfaces for contact with the protuberances 11. 'lhe central rib 10 ot' the grids is notched at the ends, as at 19, to provide recesses to receive the vertical ribs Q() projecting 'trom the sides ot the containing casing 21. The containing casing 21 is also provided with supports 22 on its bottom to support the elcmcnts as a whole and to provide pans to receive any conducting material that may, from time to time, fall from the grids. Each of the grids 10 is provided on its end with a projection Q3 which is, to a more or less extent, flexible, that will permit the vertical displacement ot the grids to some extent without disturbing its connection with the other grids with which it is associated. Each of the ends 23 is provided with a hole 24 that registers with holes in other' grids that compose a given element. After the grids have been filled with active material 12, as shown in Fig. 5, they arc placed one upon the other, as shown in Fig. 1, until a su'llicicnt number have been so assembled to provide an element of the proper vertical dimension. The tongues 223 and the perforations 2li therein are placed in the same vertical plane so that a wire or copper conductor Q5, to afford better electrical conductivity for the conducting post 2G, is placed in the vertically alining perfor-ations 2l of the tongues 23. To prevent corrosion this wire is entirely inclosed in the metal composing the post 26. lVhen the parts are assembled in the manner described, the post 2G is molded around the ends or the tongues Q3, of the assembled grids, and iu molding the post 9.6, a notch 27, similarly to the notch 19, is made in the end of the post for engagement with the ribs 20 of the containing casing 21. ln Fig. l the rib 2O of the casing 2l is shown within the notch 27.

In Fig. 2 l have shown the positive terminal 29 connected to two positive plates, or negative elments, QS, and the negative terminal 3() connected to three negative plates, or positive elements, 3l, in the usual manner, as by burning, soldering, or otherwise. The terminals 29 and 30, respectively., are connected to the posts Q6 of the respective elements as by burning, and the elements thus joined may be connected into battery arrangement by means of conductors engaging the reduced portions Si plus and 3l minus of the cell terminals.

It will be observed that practically the entire surface of the active material comprising my grids is so disposed as to be subject to the action of the electro-lyte and free circulation thereof is permitted between the confronting surfaces of the sections, and furthermore that the means for spacing the respective elements apart and holding them in spaced relation does notl shut off a particle of the confronting active surface of the rcspective grids. lt will be furthermore observed that the flexible tongues Q3 permit relative vertical movement of the sections composing the grids without danger of rupturing the contacting' ends as these tongues are flexible and the joints made thereby are not rigid, as is usual in constructions of this general character.

Y By doing away with the perforated intervening separating plates, usually used in structures of this general character, the entire active surfaces of the grids are exposed and free for contact by the electro-lyte, and

the internal resistance of the cell is thereby 1 greatly decreased and coextensively increasing the general cliiciency of the operation of the structure. in the operation of a cell of this character, there is very little, if any, lateral expansion of the elements due to causes to which reference has heretofore een made and in the structure which l have heretofore described, wherein longitudinally extending iarallel sections are joined at one end, the expansion will take place in a Vertical direction and the joining ends, being flexible, permits the expansion and contraction of the respective sections without danger of permanent displacement of the parts.

lVhile I have herein described single embodiment of my invent-ion for the purpose of clear disclosure, it is evident that changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing therefrom.

liVhat l claim is:

l. A battery element, comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, spaced-apart sections free to move with respect to one another, eaeh section provided with a flexible tongue at one end by which they are united to a common conductor, projections extending from one side of each section to space apart an adj acent section and provide a gliding contact therewith, and a common conductor uniting said sections into a single element.

2. A battery element, comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, spaced-apart sections, each section provided with a notch or recess in its free end, and having a flexible tongue at the other end by which said sections are united to a common conductor; a common conductor for uniting said sections into a single element and having a vertically extending recess and a containing casing having" vertically inwardly extending ribs to space apart said elements.

3. A battery element, comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, spaced-apart sections, each section provided with notches or recesses in its ends, and having a flexible tongue by which said sections are united to a common conductor, a common conductor for uniting said sections into a single element and. a containing casing having Vertically, inwardly extending ribs to space apart said elements.

In testimony whereof l hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

MIFFLN L. ASHBAUGH. ln the presence of- Fnnnnmox VAN Nurs, REN. rfi. HorFMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Vfashington, D. C. 

